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🇳🇬 Nigeria /Conflict & Security

Failed coup: Niger blames France and neighbours, threatens international action

From Premium Times · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • Niger’s military government says soldiers who mutinied on Aug. 28-29 were supported by a network allegedly led by France and involving neighbouring countries.
  • The mutineers briefly seized positions including Diori Hamani International Airport and Air Base 101 before Nigerien forces suppressed the revolt, with some participants arrested or killed.
  • France, Benin and Nigeria have rejected or distanced themselves from the allegations, while Niger said it had gathered evidence and reserved the right to pursue the matter before international courts.

Niger’s military government has accused France of backing an attempted coup against the junta and warned that it could take the matter to international courts. The authorities said they had compiled “a substantial body of evidence” about the attack.

A substantial body of evidence has been compiled regarding this attack, and Niger reserves the right to bring the matter before international courts.

· Nigerien governmentThe military government announced its conclusion that France-backed accomplices supported the mutiny.

The alleged mutiny took place between Aug. 28 and 29, when soldiers abandoned their front lines and seized several positions. They took control of Diori Hamani International Airport and Air Base 101, where Russia’s Africa Corps is stationed, and tried to breach the perimeter of the fortified presidential palace. After several hours of fighting, the mutiny was suppressed. Some of the soldiers were arrested or killed.

According to the Nigerien authorities, the operation involved a network of accomplices led by France. France rejected the allegation as “pure fiction.” French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said there had been “neither intent nor means” for France to carry out military action against Niger.

Pure fiction.

· French governmentFrance rejected Niger’s allegation that it supported the attempted coup.

A Nigerien army captain, Roger Gabriel, separately alleged on state television that associates of deposed President Mohamed Bazoum and officers from Chad, Benin and Côte d’Ivoire were behind the attack. He also said people from the United Arab Emirates and Belgium had urged him to join the mutiny, and claimed French soldiers would have arrived in Niamey as reinforcements. Benin rejected his allegation, while the article said it was unclear whether the other countries had responded.

Neither intent nor means.

· Jean-Noël BarrotFrance’s foreign minister said France lacked both the intention and the capability to carry out military action against Niger.

Nigeria sought to distance itself from the episode. Foreign Minister of State Sola Enikanolaiy called claims that Nigeria and ECOWAS supported the mutiny “false and mischievous.” Relations between Niger and France, its former colonial power, have deteriorated sharply since the July 2023 military takeover, which ended longstanding military cooperation and led the junta to demand the withdrawal of French troops.

False and mischievous claims.

· Sola EnikanolaiyNigeria’s minister of state for foreign affairs rejected claims that Nigeria and ECOWAS supported the mutiny.
About this summary

Originally published by Premium Times in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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